


If It Don't Work

by derireo



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Fluff, Fondling, Happy Ending, NOT REALLY BUT IDK WHAT CKG'S DOING, Neck Kissing, Pining, Scenting, Teasing, idk how but it got kinda sexy at one point. ckg worms in da brain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:49:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28705452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/derireo/pseuds/derireo
Summary: Feelings are justsogoddamn annoying. And when Chikage realizes that there may be a possibility that he's fallen for Izumi, he flees, in hopes to avoid what he feels may be the inevitable.It's impossible not to like her, but the risk of gaining one more soft spot leaves Chikage much to worry about.
Relationships: Tachibana Izumi/Utsuki Chikage
Comments: 15
Kudos: 82





	If It Don't Work

**Author's Note:**

> my first official fic for ckg!!! didn't mean for it to get so long, but here we are. not beta'd!
> 
> title is a song by carter ace

Chikage found it quite funny how easy it was for him to trick Izumi. They weren't even terrible, unethical tricks, but silly little ones that would have her huffing and puffing once he'd tell her that everything was a lie.

The atmosphere felt cozy as he pulled another trick on her. They were sitting on each end of the sofa when she had asked him about this curry blog she had come across a long while ago, looking at him as she showed him a picture.

"Is this you?" She asked, indeed showing Chikage the most recent post from his curry blog.

Izumi only inquired because Chikage had accidentally left his hand in the shot of the photo, his trademark silver ring shining with the flash. By asking she thought that, if he _did_ run this account, they'd have one thing to bond over.

If this was his blog, Izumi felt she'd be much more comfortable with him, knowing that he had other hobbies besides magic and deception.

His face didn't change as she leaned across the length of the sofa to shove her phone in his face, but he did pretend to examine the blog feed and scroll through it.

"Chika-usa? Curry blog?" His voice held a hint of teasing as he pushed the screen away from his face, blue eyes giving Izumi a pointed look when she began to frown. "I'd never."

The tone in his voice told her that that was his final statement on the topic, but she wouldn't budge. Izumi's stubbornness and skepticism gave her the courage to crawl closer to the lounging man, and that made his eyebrow twitch.

"But that ring shares an uncanny resemblance to yours." She urged, pointing back at the photo she had originally showed him.

Chikage shrugged, refusing to give his statement on the matter.

Izumi scrunched her nose and held her hand out, palm up. "Hand."

And what else could Chikage do but obey the lovely director?

With an inward scoff, the man smiled. _As if_.

Being the brat that he was when it came to the director, Chikage twisted his hand around so that their palms pressed together. His fingers quickly tangled with hers before Izumi could focus on the ring that glinted on his middle finger and lifted their hands upright. His ring was out of sight for Izumi, as her eyes were trained on her own knuckles instead.

"If you wanted to hold hands, I would have preferred to hear you ask instead." He teased gently, biting the tip of his tongue as he watched how Izumi's ears reddened while her brows cinched together with annoyance.

"Utsuki." Izumi threatened. Chikage couldn't help but feel amused. The corner of his lip tilted upward and he hummed in response.

" _Tachibana_..." He drawled, slowly. His eyes, crystalline blue, were filled with laughter when Izumi puffed her cheeks in a sulking way, her shoulders slouching once she realized that Chikage wasn't going to budge.

She looked awfully cute, Chikage thought to himself. Her brown eyes shone with a tinge of playfulness as she leaned into his space and placed their hands in his lap, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards.

"Are you sure you aren't the one running this blog?" She finally smiled. Her teeth flashed at him when she asked her question and for some reason it made Chikage's heart skip a beat.

Izumi's fingers held onto him firmly as she leaned against his shoulder, face glowing with expectancy.

And it wasn't until he felt the warmth of her body sink into his clothes that it dawned on Chikage that they were getting too close.

Both physically and emotionally.

The teasing glint in his gaze grew cold in a matter of a millisecond, and his smile dropped into a blank press of his lips. Chikage did not want to play around any longer, and he made that apparent when his hand snaked away from Izumi's grip and he stood.

The woman who was finally getting cozy with him fell forward due to his physical absence. Her sparkling brown eyes darted up to meet his cold stare, and she let her lips part to ask what was wrong.

"Utsuk—"

He interrupted her with a sharp voice. "I'll be heading out. Sorry to cut our time together so short."

And then he was off, the wind he carried behind him startling Izumi as he escaped her company and fled the dorm.

* * *

Chikage bit at his knuckles as he strained his eyes to look at his computer screen for a little while longer. The brightness was at the lowest setting he could put it on, but it still hurt. His index finger scrolled through the long ass document his coworker had sent him, and he was prepared to just delete the damned thing from existence.

He wasn't typing away at his laptop like usual, his head too preoccupied with nothing _and_ everything.

His gaze grey bleary for a brief second as he edited a page, but he forced himself to continue. He had a job, a _real one_ , after all, which was quite unfortunate.

Not that he really cared. The mundane life was kind of fun, if not tedious. Take a look at Itaru for example. An office worker by day and a gamer/streamer by night. People constantly work around their shitty lives and make it better somehow, and that poor junior of his accomplished just that. Chikage found it fascinating.

But he didn't understand the simplicity of some things, nor the complexity.

Why does he find himself feeling happy when someone gifts him spices just because they thought of him?

Of course, the answer was because he loves spices. But the thing was that he rarely felt the joy that came with receiving a present. Reciprocating sentimentality was not something he did, but _lying_ was.

The amount of times he's had to put on a fake smile for whatever occasion was one too many. Faking emotions and flattering people with what they want to hear can be a sought out skill or one that is resented.

Chikage couldn't recall the last time he'd given a genuine reaction to something.

He tapped his pen against his desk; not at all realizing that he'd been spacing out for a good few minutes.

It wasn't until he received a text message from Itaru that he snapped out of his daze. He bit the tip of his tongue as he removed his fist from his mouth and tapped at the message, eyelids lowered into slits.

_u coming home tonight? izumi needs to kno before she starts cooking._

He sniffed. Contemplating on whether he should reply or not, the hand that held the pen clenched tightly at the mention of Izumi. He didn't know whether or not he wanted to see her, and that troubled him.

Izumi.

A simple woman. A _dumb_ , simple woman.

Chikage pursed his lips as to not smile.

No, she wasn't dumb at all. She could be air-headed at times, yes, but with the amount of times she'd been serious with Chikage, he couldn't tell if it was all an act.

It was an endearing side to her, of course, the blank moments she'd have, but Chikage couldn't stress enough that she was smart and so awfully kind hearted despite all that. He couldn't forget the times she'd reached out to him—standing tall and maintaining eye contact even as he pushed her away.

Her voice, gentle with sincerity and warmth that would make his heart rattle when he'd recall these small moments that just felt so intimate and— ** _no_**.

Snap out of it, Chikage.

When he first joined the company, he wasn't supposed to get close to anyone.

He was there to wreak havoc amongst the members, hurt the people closest to Hisoka, and then leave. Of course, after a year of staying at the company, people could tell that that little plan of his had never come to fruition.

Even though he did manage to steal Izumi away and kept her hostage for days, he was never able to get Mankai to fall.

After his incident with Izumi, he expected to get kicked out. To get replaced. To be forgotten.

He didn't _belong_ and he certainly _shouldn't_. Every single day he wondered if it'd be his last at the company, and every single time Izumi came to him he braced for those words.

' _I'm sorry. You have to go_.'

He should be happy if it ever came down to that, but for some reason it hurt just thinking about it.

He felt selfish for wanting to stay. Just what was it that made him want to continue working at this damn theatre?

It couldn't be the money. He had plenty of that.

It couldn't be the living space. He already had his hideout.

It _definitely_ couldn't be the people. He didn't need anybody.

So _why_ did it hurt to think about leaving everyone behind? He'd have to do it eventually if his job persisted and the safety of the members were compromised, so why? It was all a part of his job after all.

Chikage took another glance at his phone, seeing that Itaru had sent him another message.

_izumi's gonna make u smth just in case_.

And really, he wanted to text back and tell Itaru that she didn't need to do that for him, but the thought of her smiling face when he ate something of hers made him pause.

She was _always_ smiling.

Even when he would deliberately try to make her mad, she'd smile. When he'd hurt her feelings, she'd smile. Everything that he did to oppose Izumi would only result in him receiving a smile.

She smiled at him during the time he had kidnapped her. She _comforted_ him.

She accepted Chikage for who he was, and forgave the man who had told her he hated women. The man who raised his voice at her multiple times and even made her flinch. The man who drugged her and kept her hostage. The man who was about to waste all of her efforts to keep Mankai alive—she forgave him.

He knew some of the members still felt uneasy around him after all that had transpired, and Izumi should have been the same.

But she held his hand and smiled, welcoming him to the company rather than telling him he should go.

Nobody knew this, but Chikage had inwardly screamed when she touched him like that. Her fingers were so tender when they pressed into his palms and her eyes told him that she understood him. Not completely, but she knew why he did what he did. He was blind with grief, and she saw that.

He hated the way she looked at him. Not because the gaze on him was from a woman, but because he felt somewhat comforted by the fact that she didn't need anything else from him.

The women he came across liked him far too much for it to be deemed comfortable and fun. His mother was the sole reason why he rarely trusted women too, conditioning him into thinking that they needed anything from Chikage that _wasn't_ him.

He was disposable. All they wanted was the money. Or a warm body to sleep with. They'd switch him out for someone better once they got bored and Chikage didn't _need_ that.

And if _he's_ not needed, then he won't commit.

But Izumi told Chikage that they needed him, and the terrified, angry voice in his head went silent.

Just like right now. The murmuring in his head that was telling him not to go back to the dorm had disappeared at the thought of Izumi.

Chikage shoved his hand beneath his glasses to wipe at his face; obviously stressed.

Then there was a call. Chikage took one glance at the ID and clenched his jaw. The fingers that held his pen flexed and he felt a brief wave of shock run through his body as the ringer continued.

_Why_ was she calling?

Of course he wasn't going to answer. They both knew that. It looked like Izumi decided to wait until his voicemail came up and Chikage didn't have the heart to decline her call. He let his phone ring a few more times before it stopped on its own.

His phone lit up again, alerting him that he had a voicemail.

He immediately went to open up the notification and punched in the password to his voicemail when asked.

Her voice came through the speaker, the sound of her opening and closing the microwave almost drowning out her whispers.

" _It's getting late. I'm sorry for upsetting you earlier._ "

She paused. She opened something; presumably the fridge, and rummaged around for whatever it was she was looking for.

" _I left your dinner in the microwave. I hope you come home soon. Goodnight, Utsuki_."

The voicemail ended, and the automated voice gave him the option to delete it.

And he was about to, but the worried tone in her voice replayed in his head.

I hope you come home soon.

_Come home soon_.

**Come home**.

Chikage slammed his laptop closed and shrugged on his coat after deciding to keep the message. He pocketed his phone and stood up from his seat, the chair scratching loudly against the floor.

He fled his hideout just as quickly as he did the dorm and ran back to her, in the dead of night.

* * *

He had just arrived home when Izumi stepped out of her room to go to the kitchen.

The sound of her slippers shuffling against the floor had the man pacing towards her, and before they both knew it, he was wrapping her up in his embrace.

"Hmm... Welcome home, Utsuki." Her voice was muffled by his shoulder as he pulled her close to his chest. Izumi's arms came to rest around his torso, and she rubbed her palms along the planes of his back to soothe him as he said nothing.

"It's late. You should go to bed soon." She yawned, eyes still closed with sleep. Chikage's chest rumbled in response, and he tightened his arms around her shoulders while her hands continued to roam the expanse of his broad back.

It was oddly comforting how she was willing to hold him even when he pulled her into his chest without warning. Chikage's will to release her from his grasp wittled down with each passing stroke of her hands against his shoulders, and he pressed his nose into the soft silk of her hair.

He found that she smelled like flowers.

Izumi didn't seem fazed by the unusual behaviour Chikage was displaying and took everything in stride. She wasn't sure what was going on with the man, but it was obvious he was troubled. It didn't look like he wanted to part with her any time soon, and so she decided to stick with him for a little while longer.

"I'll stay with you until you finish your dinner." She said into his shoulder and paused the movements of her hands. "And if you want to talk about what's bothering you, I'll listen."

And don't get Chikage wrong. The offer was tempting, but he didn't want to waste Izumi's time like that. He'd been brooding for too long. He was just going to bother her.

Izumi wiped away the sleep from her eyes when Chikage still didn't answer, and she pulled away slightly to view his unmoving face.

"Are you okay?" She asked gently, raising her hand to give a careful stroke of her knuckles to his cheek. Chikage flinched at the foreign contact and felt his breath hitch as another hand came to cradle his jaw, and suddenly he found himself staring down at a half asleep Izumi as she tried to bring him comfort.

"You must be tired. Let me bring you to your room." She murmured, and knocked away his arms from her shoulders to grab his hand, already tugging him towards the hallway that would lead to his shared room with Itaru.

Her fingers were tender as always as she held his hand, and Chikage couldn't resist the urge to stare at their tangled fingers as she pulled him along.

He wondered if it was selfish of him to want this. To be under the ministrations of Izumi's love and care was perhaps a dream that many had, and Chikage wasn't immune to having it too. Not anymore, at least.

His feet were light as he followed her further into the dorm, and didn't comment on it when she passed his room by accident and began to trudge towards her own.

She was still so adorably air headed even in her half-asleep state; maybe even more so, and it made the corners of Chikage's mouth twitch.

It was unfortunate to see her so vulnerable. She probably didn't mean to show this side to Chikage, but she did anyways because she let her guard down. This was _another_ thing for him to worry about.

She was so kind, that she'd put her safety below all else.

What if someone strange had come in instead of him? What if she mistook them for him? What if someone had tracked his location, snuck in and took her away? Or worse, hurt her then left her body on display for everyone to see? Chikage may be smart and reliable, but even then, there were times when he wasn't around.

These thoughts grew louder and scarier in his head as he watched Izumi stop in front of her door, and he could feel the weakening beat of his heart when she let go of his hand.

She could be taken away any minute.

Just like August. Just like December.

Izumi turned around after noticing that the door she stood at was in fact her own, and she smiled bashfully; eyes still barely open.

"I—I didn't notice I went the wrong way." She laughed, quiet. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as Chikage watched her like a hawk, his hands twitching at his sides as she avoided the blank stare. "You should've told me to stop..."

He towered over her, scarily so. Izumi didn't know what was wrong with Chikage; he had left the dorm for hours and had only just come home. She wasn't sure how to placate him if he was still upset from the events earlier, nor did she know if there was even a way to make him feel better.

She fish-mouthed as she tried to find the words to say, but before her voice got the chance to crawl out of her throat, she was suddenly being engulfed by a pair of warm, strong arms holding her by the waist.

"Utsuki—" She startled, but the man silenced her with a low hiss of breath against her ear.

" _Chikage_." He rumbled lowly. The tip of his nose brushed her jaw as his hands came to roam the expanse of her body just like she did earlier, but he was rougher. He was more intent on memorizing the feel of her body beneath his hands so that he wouldn't forget it.

The woman in his arms couldn't say anything as his warm palms slid up the arch of her back. She couldn't think when he lead her arms to curl around his neck, and she certainly felt like she couldn't _breathe_ when he pressed his face into her throat.

Chikage resisted the absolute need to feel her pulse beneath his lips and opted to drag his hands up her back again, just to feel her body twist in his grasp.

He didn't want to think of anything but this.

The trembling voices in his head sank down into a whisper as he memorized every curve and dip of Izumi's body the more he let his hands move. He nearly let out a desperate gasp of relief as he tended to the _lively_ , squirming Izumi, and he backed her up against her door with a light thud, his worries slowly swimming away.

He needed to feel the life in his hands.

"Um. _Chikage_..." She chuckled nervously, and almost let out a yelp when his thumbs pressed into the soft flesh of her stomach. His breath was warm against her throat, and she could feel the faintest brush of his lips against her skin when she swallowed. She could feel his breath shake as her fingers carded through the hair at the nape of his neck, and she relaxed when she realized that he was scared.

"Chikage." Izumi said, more firmly. She was wide awake at this point, and she no longer felt like it was the right thing to leave him alone. "You have to tell me what's wrong."

"Fight back." He whispered.

Izumi frowned. "What?"

His fingers trailed up the length of her arms until he reached her elbows. Before Izumi knew it, her wrists were pinned against the door on either side of her head.

" _Fight back_." He hissed.

His eyes shined in the dimly lit hallway as he stared down at her, thumbs digging into her palms while he trapped Izumi between the door and his body.

She wasn't sure if he was trying to make her scared, but it certainly wasn't working.

Izumi smiled kindly. She was no longer worried about Chikage being mad at her for it wasn't the case. He was caring for her in his own, weird way, and Izumi saw how the cogs turned in his head at a rapid pace as his cold gaze grew desperate.

"Do something. Please." Chikage's voice had gone soft with worry, his heart rattling wildly at her smile. "I can't take it."

"I don't want to feel this way." He whispered desperately, pressing his forehead to Izumi's. His glasses glinted when his gaze met hers through the lens, and he squeezed her wrists before letting go, planting his palms against the door to ground himself.

"Why are you scared?" Izumi asked. Her hands smoothed over his chest to hopefully calm his trembling skin. Her wrists ached just a little from the strain earlier, but she paid it no mind. Lightly, she tapped her nose against his. "It's okay."

"No, it's not." He lamented, sucking in a deep breath when her fingertips lightly brushed his collarbones. "I can't let you out of my sight."

Izumi paused. She mulled over his words and wondered what he meant.

"I can't lose you too." He answered. His hands dragged down until they were cradling her face, and he angled her jaw in a way that had Izumi gulping anxiously for air.

Her neck felt a strain from trying to look up at Chikage, their height difference making it difficult to make eye contact, and she pressed her lips into a thin line when his thumbs came to brush beneath her eyes.

"If I catch feelings now... The pain of leaving you will only get worse." He continued. The words were sweet, but the loneliness behind his voice showed Izumi that he was in pain.

After all, having to leave August and December in the past was nearly too excruciating to bear.

He didn't know how he'd fare if he'd have to leave Izumi behind next.

The woman caught his attention by holding his wrists in her hands. His breath stuttered at the touch and she smiled once more, tipping her chin up just the slightest bit to have their lips brush.

"We're safe, Chikage. Hisoka and I are safe." She reassured him. Her breath fanning against his lips was like getting doused in cold water once he realized just how close they were, and he felt his heart throb with want.

"You won't leave."

"You don't know that." Chikage frowned. His eyes held a hint of doubt, but Izumi stayed firm in her belief.

"We don't." She agreed, brushing her thumb along the skin of Chikage's wrist to calm his racing pulse. "But that's what trust is all about. Don't you think?"

Izumi met Chikage's unsure gaze with her confident one. "Now, that's enough worrying for tonight." Gently, she pried away his hands from her face and pushed him back by the chest to give herself some space.

"Go to bed." Izumi ordered. She reached behind her to open the door to her bedroom and sent Chikage a pointed look, already halfway through the doorway as he stood there, frozen.

He found that his feet were stuck to the floor, and Chikage didn't know what to say as Izumi watched him with curious eyes.

"Let me sit by your bed." Strangled, his voice barely left his throat while he took a step forward. "I need to see with my eyes that you'll be okay."

Izumi followed his every step as he leaned against the doorframe and towered over her once again, his eyes sad. Just for tonight, he needed some sort of reassurance that Izumi was going to be safe. It's all he wanted for now.

With a bit of reluctance, Izumi took a quick glance out the hallway then pulled Chikage in. She shut the door behind them once he entered, and checked the time on the clock that sat on her desk.

"It's nearly two in the morning." She sighed, shuffling towards her bed. Chikage silently grabbed the chair that sat at her desk and set it down by the mattress. It faced her, and Izumi couldn't help but smile when she saw Chikage already sitting once she settled in bed.

"You have work tomorrow." Izumi noted, sinking further beneath her blanket while looking at Chikage. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

With a flick of his wrist, Chikage brushed her off.

"Mm." He hummed and watched Izumi as she rolled on her side to face him. He was no longer feeling nervous now that he was in her room, but the look on her face made him suspicious. "What."

She only smiled. He knew what.

Chikage rubbed a hand down his face, glasses dangling from his fingers as he immediately stood from his seat.

"You want a goodnight kiss, huh." His sigh was almost exasperated as he set his frames down on her bedside table and grumbled. "I regret watching that one movie with you."

"I thought it was cute." She laughed, and let out a pleased noise when the bed dipped where Chikage placed his hand. "And now that I know you have feelings for me, I'm not afraid to ask."

The man scoffed.

"I don't recall expressing any feelings for you." Chikage murmured as he planted his other hand beside Izumi to trap her beneath his body. She rolled onto her back with a teasing smile and laughed when Chikage eased himself down to press his face into her neck, lips blowing a playful raspberry to her skin.

"' _If I catch feelings now..._ '" Izumi teased Chikage while he pressed his nose into her jaw, and she yelped when his teeth came down to pinch at her skin as a warning.

"I'm just messin—ow!" With a gasp, Izumi's hands flew up to Chikage's shoulders when she felt a sharp pain on her neck. His teeth had latched onto her pulse without warning, and he hummed thoughtfully, lips brushing against her skin as he spoke.

"Wanna try me again?" Chikage threatened, much to the amusement of Izumi.

"Not really." She giggled, wrinkling her nose when she felt the tip of his tongue lave over the spot he bit.

His lips were soft when he littered her throat with kisses, and Izumi felt her toes curl with embarrassment as he traced the length of her jaw with his nose.

"Hmph." He chuckled, and his hand, large, calloused and warm, cradled her face. While his thumb gave an affectionate caress to her cheekbone, Chikage angled his chin for his mouth to press a chaste kiss to her cheek.

"I'm feeling better now." He said, smiling as Izumi gently pawed at his chest.

"Me too." She responded, her eyes curving into crescents as she pulled Chikage down to kiss his cheek in return.

"Join me in bed?" She suggested after a while of them staring in each other's eyes. Her hand patted the empty spot beside her, but Chikage refused the offer with a shake of his head.

"Celibacy before marriage." He hummed, playful, and Izumi laughed. She punched his shoulder with a scrunch of her nose which resulted in Chikage breaking into a chuckle as well.

"I understand." She grinned, and wiggled her fingers at Chikage who finally pushed himself off the bed. "Sleep well."

The man grabbed his glasses from the bedside table and returned his chair back to her desk with a nod. His hand held onto the doorknob, and with a soft smile, bid his goodnight.

**Author's Note:**

> hope u liked it :3c pls send kudos or a comment if u enjoyed <3


End file.
